In addition, the decrease in air pollution and increase in fitness would save about 1,100 lives per year.

The findings of the team working at the Global Health Institute were published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The calculations were based on computer models projecting reduced emissions, hospital visits and deaths if a moderate change to self-propelled travel would cut down residential vehicle use about 20%.

In the U.S. roughly 28% of all car trips are one mile or less, another 41% are two miles or less. Those short trips are particularly damaging, based on research that shows 25% of volatile organic compounds and 19% of particulate matter are emitted by cars in the first few minutes of operation.

The researchers concluded: “The current fossil fuel-based transportation system of the U.S. negatively impacts human health by increasing air pollution and automobile accidents and decreasing physical activity.

“Transport-related inactivity, i.e. the use of motorized transport rather than walking and bicycling, has been linked to increased mortality and decreases in healthy life years, with the greatest impacts on chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2, obesity, breast cancer, and osteoporosis.”

The health care savings would be generated through a reduction of roughly 93,607 emergency room visits and hospital emissions annually for respiratory symptoms and another 660 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease.

Roughly 425 lives would be prolonged via improved air quality and another 687 due to improved physical health from activity.

According to the study, nearly one-third of the U.S. population is fully inactive.

Cycling advocates touted the study during a news conference in Madison, and used it to support a push for more state dollars devoted building bike lanes.

“This study shows why Governor Walker and the Legislature should adopt the new bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan and Senator Fred Risser to restore funding for bicycling to save lives, reduce health costs, cut traffic and save money,” said Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison.). “It makes no sense for Governor Walker to slash bicycle funding when there are so many benefits, in addition to supporting the 13,000 jobs in the $1.5 billion Wisconsin bike industry.”

In the 2011-’13 budget, Walker and the Legislature eliminated $5 million in state transportation funding dedicated to cycling and pedestrians projects.

“The citizens of our great country have a long and proud history of making personal sacrifices for the good of the nation in troubling times,” Schlabowske wrote. “Given we are already effectively rationing healthcare, perhaps it is once again time for our leaders to ask that people take more personal responsibility to reduce the cost of healthcare by making these very short trips on foot or by bike.”

what has happened to us?is it the elimination of The Fairness Doctrine by Reagan?and the rise of hate/talk radio?was it when Rupert Murdoch became a US citizen so that he could legally own an American TV station?

have we just turned into whiny spoiled children?is school yard taunts the BEST that we can do for debate, forums, and politics?

how depressing has America become?

I wish we could do better.

but I need some reason to hold onto what little faith I have left in my fellow Americans.is there reason out there?

When we run out of oil there will be plenty of people riding bikes.Until then, you can stop trying to force people to live their lives as you say they should.Plus, did you read the last line about rationing healthcare? That's 0bamacare he's speaking of. Also, as soon as a liberal speaks of people taking "more personal responsibility" they lose all credibility. That's a CONSERVATIVE value that is being misused to try and spin their love for controlling people's lives as something other than that.

"stop trying to force people to live their lives as you say they should"?

huh?

nowhere does anyone say "you have to bike to the store".people are saying "biking to the store is a good option; you should try it. AND our government should allocate more than ZERO dollars to safe sidewalks and bike lanes/paths".how is that forcing people to live their lives any particular way?

It starts as a suggestion and grows to a mandate. It's "incrementalism". Read the last paragraph again. That is what this study is all about. Do you really think it needed to be said that it would be healthier if more people were more active? Of course not. This is just a way to put numbers on it to help push through an agenda. Just like the way they went about banning smoking and are trying to ban all kinds of foods and ingredients. When a lib says we should take personal responsibility, what they really mean is that THEY should take your personal responsibility away from you and coerce or force you to bend to their will. The caring liberals know how you should live and will get you to live well even if you lose your freedoms in the process.I am not being over sensitive, I just have seen this before from the same people and recognize it for what it is. You can deny it, brush it aside without question, or even support it all you want.

Personally I loved the last sentence/quote. "Conservatives" love nothing more than "personal responsibility" but from my experience almost assume they themselves have no room for improvement toward this end. It's all those "others" "liberals" "minorities" "entitlement folks" etc. Then when someone points out otherwise they twist the story.

conservatives love to tell people what to do with their lives, Pondoand since this article is on biking, I'll start thereconservatives love to yell things like "get the truck off the road!" at me from the window of their pickup truck (which, of course, makes them not only "telling me what to do with my life" but also factually wrong on the law)or, taking it even one further "get the truck off the road, maggot!"

now if I was a woman, I'd be thinkin' "conservatives LOVE to tell people what to do, even with their own bodies!"

if I had dark skin I'd imagine there'd be all kinds of things conservatives would love to tell me what to do (and even now, Republican Rand Paul wants to allow signs like we used to have - "no colored served here")

and as a taxpayer, I'd say conservatives love to tell me what to do with half my tax payments - send them to the military-industrial complex; and invade Iraq on lies and manipulations. uh, a trillion dollar lie? yeah, I'd call that telling me and most of the country "what to do".

if liberals want fewer people to get cancer from smoking?I'd take that.

Also, saying that biking would save $7 billion dollars sure makes spending $10 to $100 million on a Hoan bridge bike path seem almost not unreasonable, right?Coincidence that a study would come out NOW and say this?Use your heads for more than a helmet rack.

America: IF you're paying attention, you will see the ultimate goals of the United Nations Agenda 21 for one world socialist government; and, what the entire BS "Sustainability" movement is all about!

First, they build these little "sustainable communities" popping up all over America; then they get you to get use to biking and walking to work, shops, schools, and everything else "close" to you; next, they tax the "MILES" you drive in your cars; finally they take your cars away from you after herding you all into these little American "soviets" where you rent, and never own anything!!!

My uncle lives in a small town in upstate NY, and due to partial paralyzation has to drive everywhere. However, since the town he lives in is so small, the farthest that he goes is ~1 mile (grocery store or work). His car is so inefficient during those short trips that he only gets ~10 mpg for a Toyota Avalon...

It's a pretty poignant reminder that in the first mile or two not only are our cars far dirtier, they're also far less efficient as well.